To test the performance of brand-new , videographer Jay McNally and I returned to GM's Milford Proving Grounds where earlier we'd been allocated three hours with an early pre-production car. At our disposal: a Victory Red ZR1 with optional chrome wheels and fully loaded with the 3ZR package. Service techs at GM set the tire pressures and let us at it.

We tested acceleration on what is called the Military Straight. It's a two-way road that's over a mile in length with turn-around loops at each end. It took about 10 runs but I managed to click off a 0–60 mph blast of 3.4 seconds. Acceleration testing isn't typically a terribly difficult thing; however with the chilly weather there wasn't an easy way to get heat in the tires. Thus, there wasn't as much traction as we wanted, and the cold air compounded the situation by making more power. As it was, I had difficulty finding grip in 1st gear both at the initial clutch drop on launch and again near redline. Full throttle at near the top of 1st would break the rear tires loose. For a fast run it was necessary to roll into the throttle all the way through 1st gear. I suspect with warmer weather there could be another 0.2 sec. shaved off the acceleration times as full throttle could be applied.

Swapping gears is easy with the Tremec TR6060 transmission and twin-disc clutch. I didn't think twice about what gear the ZR1 was in; it just went naturally from gear to gear. With the car having 638 bhp, I'd have expected the gear lever to feel heavier. No speed shifting was used for our testing, but I did it a few times and found the gearbox sturdy enough to handle it. However, a 1–2 speed shift will always break the rear tires loose big time. This may be part of the reason that a no-lift shift feature hasn't been integrated into the ZR1. Nor is there a launch control feature; however, this could arrive on a later model. It would surely help, as a slight lapse in concentration can result in lots of tire smoke.

Brake testing was completed at the same location. Six brake stops invoking full ABS were performed; two sets of three from both 80 and 60 mph. The results in our data panel are the average of the three. There isn't much to note about the ABS stops, apart from the short distances. The brakes function well beyond what is necessary on a street car. The pedal is rock solid and there's never the slightest bit of fade. What's more, they are easy to modulate at the limit and are gloriously confidence-inspiring.

Skidpad and slalom tests were both performed on what is called the Black Lake, a vast expanse of tarmac where GM does a variety of limit handling exercises. Skidpad testing involves driving in a circle and measuring the rate of lateral acceleration, done in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions. The ZR1 actually pulled 1.12g clockwise and 1.08g in the other direction — the average being an impressive 1.10g. The Viper ACR with massive Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tires is the only car in our Road Test Summary that beats it. The ZR1 ties the ACR with its 73.4-mph slalom speed, a number that beats a Ferrari Enzo.

The slalom is a good place to really learn how the car behaves because it's all about high-speed transitions. The test is performed from a speed of 75 mph. You dive past the first slalom cone while lightly on the brakes. The pedal pressure is light and it's easy to transfer weight forward, just enough to give the front tires extra grip for turn-in. The steering wheel requires a slight flick back to thread through the next gate, and there is no slop, just a change in the car's direction. In most cars, this is where the rear end would step out, and necessitate a steering correction. The ZR1, with its Magnetic Ride Control suspension, needs none of that. It inspires you to push harder, moving the relatively wide car back and forth through the cones quicker than expected. Only with heavy throttle does the rear end lose grip.

If the Z06 is a steal, then the ZR1 borders on grand larceny. You can't get close to this level of performance without driving a wannabe race car or wiping out your bank account on something overly exotic. Some of us can only dream of owning a ZR1, so if you're among the lucky few who can, I suggest you don't hesitate to get your order in as production will be limited to 2000 cars per year.